ABSTRACT
The diverse applications of nanomaterials ranging from soil/water remediation to theranostics have resulted in their large-scale dissipation into the environment. Being sessile primary producers, plants are the first organisms to be exposed to them. However, their environmental safety appraisal in terms of plant–nanoparticle interactions is in the nascent phase. In this context, numerous methods have been developed for the evaluation of nanotoxicity in different plant systems. Primary physicochemical characterizations along with the study of alterations in hydrodynamic characteristics as a function of concentration and time are prerequisites of nanotoxicology evaluations. This is followed by the estimation of their fate in terms of adsorption, internalization, and biodistribution within the plant cells and/or plant body. Since the inception of nanotoxicology in plant science, an array of diagnostic methods has evolved to evaluate genotoxicity at the level of whole genome (DNA laddering), chromosomes (chromosome aberrations), and single nuclei (comet assay). Oxidative stress being a key mechanism of nanotoxicity can be assessed by the quantification of different types of reactive oxygen species. The characterization of the mode of cell death evoked upon nanoparticle internalization culminates basic nanotoxicity assessments. In planta analyses provide vital information on the overall fate and toxicological ramifications. On the other hand, in vitro studies using plant cell suspension systems have emerged as vital indicators of the precise cellular mechanisms involved in nanotoxicology. This chapter encompasses some of the key methods used in the evaluation of nanoparticle-induced phytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and cytotoxicity both in vivo and in vitro.
